Samsung is reportedly preparing to dramatically scale back production of its QLED television range, in a move that could signal the eventual end of one of the company’s most recognisable premium TV technologies.

According to Korean publication ETNews, Samsung Electronics plans to reduce production of QLED LCD televisions from around 10 million units to just 2 million to 3 million this year.

The reported reduction would represent a cut of up to 80% and comes as Samsung shifts its focus towards OLED, Mini LED and its newer Micro RGB technology.

QLED has been a major part of Samsung’s television strategy since its introduction in 2017. The technology uses a quantum-dot layer over an LCD panel to expand colour reproduction, which is different from OLED, where individual pixels generate their own light.

The reported production cuts extend beyond Samsung’s standard QLED models. The company is also said to be reducing its higher-end Neo QLED range, with sources telling Korean media that production could potentially be phased out entirely as early as 2028.

QLED and Neo QLED models have been prominent in the Australian market, offering an alternative to OLED for buyers seeking large-screen televisions with high brightness and strong colour performance. However, the reported move does not mean Samsung is abandoning quantum-dot technology altogether.

The company continues to use quantum dots in its QD-OLED television and monitor panels, which combine quantum-dot colour conversion with OLED technology. Samsung is also continuing research into emerging display technologies that could eventually move quantum dots beyond conventional LCD and OLED architectures.

One potential future technology is electroluminescent quantum dot, or EL-QD, sometimes referred to as NanoLED. Unlike conventional QLED televisions, the quantum dots themselves would produce light when electrically stimulated.

The latest claims are based on Korean industry sources. If the reported changes to production strategy are accurate, however, Samsung’s television business is entering another significant transition, one that could feature newer display technologies.